Celtics boosted by ‘smart move’ after Robert Williams injury

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Robert Williams III

Former Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III is undergoing knee surgery. according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that will throw him out indefinitely. Following the news, MassLive’s Brian Robb explained why trading him and Malcolm Brogdon to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jrue Holiday was a “smart move” by the Celtics’ front office.

“If the Celtics were on the Holiday front in September and watched the point guard leave for another contender (Clippers?), Boston would be in a miserable situation right now following Williams’ injury. “An important trade and rotation advantage would have disappeared in the short term with his injury,” Robb wrote in a Nov. 8 story.

After everything that happened in the offseason, Robb then explained why keeping Brogdon wouldn’t have been a good idea.

“Meanwhile, Malcolm Brogdon would most likely still have been unhappy with the team after attempting an early trade to the Clippers in June. For a team looking to compete now, it would have been daunting to find meaningful in-season upgrades without depleting the team’s draft asset pool.”

Given Brogdon’s injury history, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he also struggled with injuries in Portland. The Celtics were mostly lucky that Williams and Brogdon were available in the playoffs, but it’s still risky.

Robert Williams may need season-ending surgery: report

Following Wojnarowski’s initial report, The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Jared Weiss reported via Charania’s X account that Williams may undergo surgery that could cause him to miss the entire season.

“Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III may face season-ending surgery to repair bone and ligament damage from a right kneecap injury, sources tell me.”
(White). “Williams and the doctors could also opt for a cleanup procedure with a two- to three-month timeline,” Charania wrote on Nov. 6.

If Williams tore his meniscus in 2022, He elected to undergo surgery, which allowed him to return in the postseason. The Celtics benefited from Williams’ presence, but his injury significantly limited his options. Williams might be better off undergoing season-ending surgery to better protect himself going forward.

As the Trail Blazers rebuild as a team, they don’t need to rush him back. Therefore, Williams can take the time he needs.

Ex-Celtic Malcolm Brogdon also injured: report

Much like Robert Williams III, Malcolm Brogdon came to the Trail Blazers with a reputation for being injury-prone. During the Trail Blazers’ game against the Sacramento Kings, Brogdon had to leave the game due to a hamstring injury. per Marc Spears.

There have been no updates on Brodgon since then, but it’s further evidence that the Celtics made the right decision in trading him and Williams. The Celtics gave up a lot of their depth when they acquired Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. However, in Holiday’s case, Boston traded two players who always posed a health risk to him. Ironically, Holiday also has a track record with serious injuries.

The difference between him and the two former injury-prone Celtics is that the last time Holiday played fewer than 60 games dates back to the 2014-15 season.

Matt John covers the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns for Heavy.com. The Massachusetts native has been covering the NBA since 2018, with stints at FanSided, Basketball News and Basketball Insiders. More about Matt John